SRI RADHE SHYAM BOAT FESTIVAL

Sri Sri Krishna-Balarama Mandir (ISKCON), Sri Vrindavana Dhama 

Sri Sri Radhe Shyam Boat Festival

Every year, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Temple, ISKCON Vrindavana celebrates famously called “Sri Sri Radhe Shyam Boat Festival” just a few days after judicious Gaura-Purnima Festival. This event is much-awaited by thousands of devotees around the world including the students from Gurukuls who attend the celebrations. Usually many devotees after attending Gaura-Purnima festival at Sridham Mayapur come to Sri Vrindavana Dhama to take part in this celebration.  

The inner courtyard of the Sri Sri Krishna Balarama temple is filled with water and a pool is created. The pool is then covered with a variety of flowers artfully decorated in various patterns and designs which also included decorative letters inscribing ‘HARE KRISHNA’, ‘RADHE SHYAM’ and ‘ISKCON’. The floral decorations are wonderful, even mystics wouldn’t doubt the soft bottom below the flowerbed. It is amazing to see the splendid decoration and jubilant atmosphere.  

At the start of the festival, the utsava Deities of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, Sri Lalita and Sri Vishaka come out of the altar after the 4:30pm aratik dressed in a flower outfit to ride in Their boat which is exquisitely decorated. The festival begins with melodious Hare Krishna mahamantra kirtan at 5.00pm placing Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar in a beautiful boat shaped like a decorated swan. The temple atmosphere is vibrant with enchanting kirtan and it continued loud until 7.00pm. The temple and Deity decorations are a feast to the eye and the floral outfits exemplify Their glory. Varieties of delicious maha-prasadams are distributed to all devotees assembled. Maha-prasadam distribution is done directly from the boat as the Deities ride around the courtyard and the devotees are very enthusiastically partaking in the maha-prasadam with thrills of joy heard from all around the courtyard.  

Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, Sri Lalita and Sri Vishaka, take several rounds around the pool with devotees singing and dancing gleefully amidst wonderful kirtans. This continues till 7:00pm in the evening. Flowers, fruits, Delicious bhoga offering, incense and ghee lamps are offered to the Deities while the boat is being tugged around the pool by devotees. Excited devotees seated around the courtyard pool, watch the progression with enthusiasm. Everyone is excited and in festive mood.  

Every year the audience to this gorgeous festival is increasing. More than one million people watch live in the TV the Boat Festival at ISKCON’s Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Temple in Vrindavana Dhama! Many TV channels like Tata Sky, Disha Channel, Sanatan TV, MH 1 Shradhaa and ISKCON Vrindavana TV cover this event.  

Significance of the Boat festival:

The boat festival marks the symbolic event occurred between Radha and Krishna before 5000 years at Raj Ghat in River Yamuna. The Gopis (cowherd girls) often carried the milk products from Vrindavana and sold at Mathura to earn their living. Krishna was waiting for them as a boatman. There were wonderful pastimes between Him and the Gopis as He helped them across the violent river. The event was artfully portrayed in the 18th century work, Bhakti Ratnakara (sloka 1700-1712) when Raghava Pandita was describing the pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna to Srinivasa Acharya, Narottama Das Thakura and Shyamananda Prabhu during in Vraja-parikrama. 

Raghava Pandita says: See this place with beautiful spots, where Nanda Kumara (Krishna) always wanders. Let us discuss the glorious pastimes of the expansions of Lord such as Krishna, Balarama and Nrsimhadeva. Reaching the banks of Yamuna River, Srinivasa Acharya says, “Sri Krishna started the boat festival from this Raj Ghat with the Srimati Radharani and Her associates to cross the River carrying pots of milk products. See the amazingly beautiful face of Krishna. On the riverside remained Sri Krishna on a worn out boat. Srimati Radharani and Her associates urged to Krishna, “Please take us to the other side of River Yamuna.” Sri Krishna rowed them down to some distance with great pleasure. Let us describe Lord Krishna’s playful pastimes with them.”

When the old boat floated in violent waters, the Gopis said, “You are troubling we young girls. O Madhava, You reap the seed of all troubles and You alone can make us cross this River.” Sri Krishna said, “All food you carry will be drowned. Please throw away all you carry in water including your unwanted clothing.” Even at this dreadful moment, Krishna was cutting jokes at the Gopis and clapped hands showing no worries. The Gopis said, “We desperately throw water from the sinking boat with our bare hands. Even if we escape from here, we will not surrender to You.”

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